“The handbook is your Piney Wood Bible. This paper is the Book of Revelation, or what will come to pass right here in Daydream Cabin,” Jayden said. “This outlines what you will be doing as a team, what you’ll be doing individually, and the schedule as to when you will be allowed your turn for showers in the bathhouse. You will have an hour, which will be your free hour this afternoon, to acquaint yourselves with what’s written there. Now you may go into your bedroom, which is through that open door.”

Tiffany’s eyes got as big as saucers. “What do you mean, bathhouse? Don’t we, at least, have an individual bathroom in the cabin?”

“No, ma’am,” Jayden answered. “The bathroom is located behind the cabins. It has showers and stalls. No mirrors, and when you read your papers there, you will see that every fourth day is your day as a team to clean it thoroughly.”

All the color left Ashlyn’s face. “You’ve got to be shittin’ me.”

“Honey, that won’t be nearly as bad as the day you muck out the horse stalls in the barn,” Jayden said. “Lay those papers on your cots, and we’ll go out to the bathroom as a group. That way you’ll know where it is.” She led the way outside with all three girls behind her. “The laundry is right beside it, and every other day one of you will be responsible for doing the washing for the group. If you get the bright idea to ruin one of your teammates’ uniforms or a piece of their underwear, then I’ll take the same from your stash. That means you’ll be wearing the same underbritches for more than one day.”

“Good God.” Carmella laid a hand across her forehead in a dramatic gesture. “I’ve died and gone straight to hell with the worst people in the whole world.”

“Last time I checked, God was very good.” Jayden crossed her fingers behind her back. She still hadn’t forgiven God for taking her mother from her. “He’s given all of you a second chance to straighten up your lives. Here it is.” She entered the bathhouse ahead of them to find Novalene already in there with her charges.

“Whinin’ yet?” Novalene looped her arm into Jayden’s and led her outside.

“Oh, yeah,” Jayden answered.

“Mine, too. Is that plate dumper going to be your ringleader when they become friends?” Novalene asked.

“I think my platinum blonde is going to be the hard-ass in the group,” Jayden replied. “How about your girls?”

“The most vocal right now is Lauren. She’s the one who’s been in and out of rehab several times for drugs,” Novalene answered. “I’ve seen worse on the first day, and then I’ve seen miracles by the end.”

“Let’s hope it happens that way this time around,” Jayden said.

Tiffany was the first one out of the bathroom. “That rough old brown paper is going to ruin my hands.”

“And the soap is going to dry my skin.” Ashlyn followed her. “Can’t we at least get our own toiletries out of our suitcases? I use a special lotion, and I need my makeup kit.”

“Sorry, darlin’,” Jayden answered. “Your new cosmetics will consist of a bar of soap and a stick of deodorant, both of a generic brand; a disposable razor if you’ve a mind to shave your legs; and a bottle of generic two-in-one shampoo. They are located in a plastic bag in your footlocker back in Daydream Cabin.”

“Holy shit!” Ashlyn paled again beneath her perfectly tanned skin.

“And one more thing, the only tanning bed comes from up there.” Jayden pointed to the hot sun. “You will definitely have a farmer’s tan by the time you go back home.”

“No makeup?” Tears welled up in Tiffany’s eyes.

“Not even a little bit of lip gloss, but you do have a tube of generic dollar-store lip balm in your footlocker,” Jayden told them. “And for your information, I will be using the same products that you do, so we’re all in the same boat.”

“You get to wear jeans and your own shirts,” Carmella argued.

“You all might remember this when you go home and want to drink and drive, shoplift, or bully other girls,” Jayden reminded them. “We have a few minutes left to go over tomorrow’s schedule or we can go to the barn, and you can see where your first job will be in the morning after you do your exercise routine with Elijah at five fifteen and walk a mile before breakfast.”

“Can we go back to the cabin now?” Tiffany looked like she was fighting tears. “I’ve never been up that early in my life or walked any farther than to the end of the driveway.”

“Except when you’re putting ugly pictures on the internet so early in the morning that no one else is up, right?” Ashlyn asked.

“Or sneaking in past curfew?” Carmella added.

“Neither of you have room to judge me.” Tiffany marched toward the cabin, leaving them behind. Reluctantly, her two cabinmates followed along behind her, with heavy sighs floating out into the hot wind blowing across the yard.

Jayden wondered if her sister gave up her makeup while she was at the camp. If she did, what did she look like? Jayden hadn’t seen her without a full, hour-long makeup job since she was twelve years old and Skyler was fifteen. That was the year that Skyler got strep throat and the world came to an end until she got well. That whole week, Skyler went without makeup.

“Penny for your thoughts.” Novalene caught up to her.

“Is this par for the course?” Jayden asked. “Are they always this prickly on the first day?”

“Yep,” the older woman answered. “Today has opened their little eyes. Tomorrow, more than just your tray dropper will be crying by bedtime, and then things will begin to get better.”

“One baby step at a time?” Jayden asked.

“Oh, honey, one-half a baby step if we’re lucky.” Novalene waved as she followed her crew back to the Moonbeam Cabin.

Jayden didn’t go inside the hot cabin when she got back but sat down in one of the double Adirondack chairs on the porch. Skyler should have told her more, but if her sister had, then she would be at home in her apartment instead of at Piney Wood. That was a guaran-damn-teed fact. Yet now that she could look ahead with hope of helping these girls, she was glad she’d come.

Elijah rounded the end of the cabin and sat down beside her. “How’s it going?”

“About as expected. Strip any teenage girl of her makeup, fancy jeans, and phone, and they think the world has come to an end. Right now, they don’t even know if the sun will come up tomorrow,” she answered.

“By the time it does, they’ll have done thirty minutes’ worth of exercise and walked a mile.” He chuckled. “Are you going to walk with them? You aren’t required to join them. The other counselors just wait until I bring them all back for breakfast.”

“I’ll be right there with them,” Jayden answered.

“Skyler didn’t—” he started.

Jayden held up a palm and butted in before he could say another word. “I’m not my sister.”

“I can already see that.” Elijah grinned. “What’s this thing between the two of you anyway? She never even mentioned having a sibling.”